


Why don't you talk to each other?

by SioDymph



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, I'm Sorry, Lots of Angst, Lots of Crying, may possibly continue, poor steven, su spoilers, summer of Steven spoilers, talking things through
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 15:31:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7689997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SioDymph/pseuds/SioDymph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You probably already know what this will be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why don't you talk to each other?

**Author's Note:**

> After watching the two-part Bismuth episode and having my heart stomped on, I decided to write my own self-indulgent version of how I wished it had ended. Or at least my attempt at writing out what I wished happened.
> 
> (I know right now there's a lot of discourse happening over these episodes and I hope that this story doesn't contribute more to that or hurt anyone's feelings. I primarily wrote this to try and feel better and published it hoping it could help out any one else whose bummed out too.)

"Then you really are better than her..."

With a poof of smoke, Bismuth and the breaking point clattered to the ground. Steven wiped away the tears brimming on his cheeks and reached out to bubble Bismuth.

It's better this way... She'd rather of been shattered than see Rose again like this... But this time, the gems will know... It's for the better...

Steven brought Bismuth close, holding her bubble in his hands. He needed to get out of here. His hands and face were covered in cuts and the sole of his foot was burning. As he left though, he passed by the Breaking Point and kicked it into the lava, not sparing another glance before leaving Bismuth's forge.

Climbing back up the volcano's side, his head was a mess of thoughts. What was he going to do? Everyone loved Bismuth, he loved Bismuth! He couldn't just bubble her back up, push her aside for another thousand years. She was a crystal gem! But... But it was too dangerous! She was talking about shattering gems! She was going to destroy everyone who stood between her and the Diamonds. And Steven never wanted to even think of shattering gems! He'd seen what became the fusion monsters and the cluster. He would never wish something like that onto anyone. Yet at the same time he hated the Diamonds. For what they'd done to Centi, and Lapis and every other gem left stranded on earth. But to shatter a gem... Bismuth wanted to shatter gems... Gems who had been working for the Diamonds like the Ruby squad or even Peridot not too long ago...

The warp pad was in sight now. He'd have to go home and... He'd have to tell the gems everything. And then they'd have to put Bismuth away with all the other gems they could never help. It made his stomach hurt, but they'd have to leave Bismuth bubbled again. He hated it, but it felt like there was no other way. What other choice did he have?

He was on the warp pad, ready to teleport home, when a song came back to him. One that cut through his rambling thoughts, worries and fears.

_Why don't you talk to each other? Why don't you talk to each other? Just give it a try? Why don't you talk about what happened?_

He looked down at the gem in his hands and he felt tears prick his eyes.

"...What am I doing?"

He stepped off the warp pad and popped Bismuth's bubble, gently placing the gem on the ground. Watching as light enveloped the gem and Bithmus landed back on her feet, rainbow hair falling over her face. She stood straight and brushed her hair aside confused as ever.

"What- Steven!" Bismuth spun around to face him and even though she seemed more worried than angry he still felt himself flinch and back away.

"Steven?" She asked again, lowering her hands and her voice. "How long has it been this time?"

"Only a couple of minutes." Steven answered slumping to the ground and sitting on the steps to the warp pad. "I couldn't- ... I didn't think it would be right to do that to you again."

Bismuth looked down at him, suspicious and trying to find some sort of tell on Steven, before sitting down next to him. From this cliff there was always an amazing view of the volcano. Ashen smog rising into the sky and hot clouds of steam blanketing the sides. And miles down below, a few streams of molten rock spilled out of the volcano, once being red hot but slowly loosing their heat and energy until they stilled into warped rock formations.

Steven sighed, trying to figure out what to say. Usually he was great at helping people but now he felt silent. He wished everyone else was here. Maybe they'd know what to do. "You know, I've only gotten to know you for just a day. When I was born only Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl were around."

"There was really no one else? No other Crystal Gems?" She sounded furious, but there was also a deep sadness making her voice tremble.

"I never knew about you, or anyone else. There are other gems here, but... It's really really not good. But I never knew about all that until a few months ago. I-I only began training with the crystal gems a for a few years now. But you were with Garnet, and Pearl, and my Mom for thousands of years. I might never know anyone that long."

Bismuth hummed, uncrossing her arms though her body was still stiff and unyielding. "Yeah, we were all a team. We were a family."

"And I've only heard stories about... About the war. I may see the consequences of everything that happened, but I never lived through it. I've only seen how much it's hurt people."

"That was the point though." Bismuth said defensivly, as she spoke her anger grew. "That was what we were fighting for! To be our own gems! And to show all the upper crusts, to show the Diamonds, all the pain they put us through every single day! To finally be able to do what we wanted and make them feel hurt for once!"

Steven felt himself flinch again when Bismuth slammed her hand heavily onto the warp pad. And he couldn't help but remember those words his dad told him way back when Jasper and Peridot first landed on earth.

_There's no such thing as a good war..._

"Bismuth?" Steven felt himself tensing up as the words came out of his mouth. He was terrified of how Bismuth would react. "I'm sorry that they've hurt you and so many other gems. And that the war ended so badly..."

Instead of fury or fists shape-shifted into hammers, there was only a chuckle so sad it tugged at Steven's heartstrings and the gem at his core. "Oh Steven, you don't even know the beginning of it."

"I know. But I know terrible things happened at the end of the war. Now, we try to help them, all the gems still out there but... It's so sad." Steven could feel tears spill down his cheeks and his nose run but he was helpless to stop it. He just kept thinking about Centi and all the corrupted gems roaming around as monsters, the fusions of broken shards and the cluster...

He could see Bismuth scoot closer and place one of her hands behind him. "What type of things?" She asked, but Steven couldn't answer. A knot formed in the back of his throat and more tears spilled down his face.

It took a few minute but when he could finally breath clearly, or at least clearly enough he gasped for air and tried to keep going. "Bismuth, would you please come back with me? We can tell all the other gems together. Tell them everything that happened."

Bismuth pulled back her hand resting on Steven's back and turned to face him. Looking over his face carefully.

"I really want you around. And so many things have changed since you were here. We can figure things out... I want to figure things out."

Bismuth was quiet for a long time, thinking things over until she crossed her arms and looked down at Steven. "I would like that very much, Steven. Promise me one thing though."

"Yes?"

"Next time the Crystal Gems are in trouble. When we're backed up into a corner. Promise me, you'll consider the Breaking Point."

"I- I probably should of told you before, but I kicked the Breaking Point into the lava."

"Don't sweat it. Once I figure out how to make something, the template's in my gem forever."

Steven felt chills crawl back up his spine at the words but tried to shake it off.

"So, do we have a deal?"

He couldn't. He didn't want to think about it. But Steven knew that if he and Bismuth could never find any common ground... If they could never trust each other... "Ok. I promise I'll at least think about it."

She smiled a little before reaching out her hand and clasping Steven's tiny one in her own. "That's more than I could ever get from Rose."

Bismuth went to tug Steven up to his feet but he stepped with his bad foot onto a sharp rock and found himself back on the halo-pad hugging his foot.

"Steven! Are you ok!"

"Yeah," Steven said grunting and trying to fight through the heat radiating off of his sole. "I just burnt my foot while in the forge. I lost my flip flop when we, uhh when we were fighting."

Bismuth leaned in to get a closer look at Rose's... Son's foot. His skin had that familiar pinkish twinge that Rose always had but there was also this very un-gemlike roughness to it as well. Instead of a gem's tough, nearly flawless skin, Steven's was fragile at spots and textured with weird details. There were scabs and scars from old wounds and all these tiny little holes everywhere. Like... Like those humans Rose always adored. 

"You really are something else, aren't you?"

"I guess so." Steven answered trying to smile.

Together, they stepped to the center of the warp pad and went home to talk to everyone else.


End file.
